Ranked number one in Virginia for Coronary Interventional Procedures

  
  For the third consecutive year, Rockingham Memorial Hospital has been ranked number one in Virginia, and among the top 5 percent of all hospitals nationally, for coronary interventional procedures by HealthGrades, the healthcare ratings company.

“Our entire coronary intervention team is elated that we’ve received the top state ranking for a third year running,” said Dave Grembi, director, RMH Heart and Vascular Center. “This is a testament to the team’s commitment to sustaining a high-quality program for our patients and our community.”

Coronary intervention, also referred to as percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI, is performed to open blocked arteries to the heart.

RMH opened its first cardiac catheterization lab in 1989 to perform diagnostic procedures. Physicians could determine whether arteries were blocked, but had to send patients to other facilities outside the local community for treatment of the blockages.

In January 2003, with the addition of an interventional cardiologist to the staff, RMH began performing coronary interventional procedures, or PCI. PCI involves the insertion of a balloon catheter to open a blocked artery and often the placement of stents, small metal mesh “cages,” to hold the artery open.

To date, RMH has performed more than 2,300 cardiac interventions with superior clinical outcomes, Grembi noted. He added that the HealthGrades ratings are based on these clinical outcomes.

“The PCI program at RMH has grown significantly since its inception,” said Mark Warner, M.D., the first interventional cardiologist at RMH and medical director for the program. “This growth has resulted in the addition of two more interventional cardiologists to our team and achievement of our goal of providing this life-saving service to our community 24-7.” 

In addition to receiving HealthGrades’ highest possible star ratings for coronary interventional procedures for 2007, 2008 and 2009, RMH also was recognized for the following clinical achievements in cardiac services: 
  • Five-star rating for treatment of heart failure (2007, 2008 and 2009). 
  • Five-star rating for Cardiology Services (2008 and 2009).
  • Recipient of the HealthGrades Coronary Intervention Excellence Award™ (2008, 2009).

“The fact that we have received high rankings from HealthGrades for several consecutive years is indicative of our clinician’s commitment to sustaining a high-quality program,” said RMH President and CEO Jim Krauss. “The significance of this recognition is that it assures our patients they will consistently receive high-quality heart care from highly trained and dedicated people at RMH.”

In January 2008, after many months of planning and preparation, RMH launched its cardiac surgery program, allowing more patients to receive high-quality heart care in the community and preventing the need to travel long distances for that care.

“We have committed the same careful thought and planning to our cardiac surgery program that we put into our coronary intervention program,” Grembi said. “Our goal is to provide the highest level of care possible to our heart patients.”

For more information, go to the RMH Heart and Vascular Center section of RMHOnline.com or www.healthgrades.com.